The present invention generally relates to an interlocking system, apparatus and method for connecting floating structures by utilizing a male-female interlocking arrangement of shafts, cams, and connector bodies which manually lock and unlock thereby permitting, when attached to structures, quick and easy connecting and disconnecting of the structures at various states of relative motion between floating structures.
Floating structures, platforms, or modules can be connected together to form larger structures or larger modules. One example of a connection of modules is a pontoon causeway or pontoon bridge, where many pontoons are attached end-to-end. Other instances of connected water-based structures are modules attached to piers or to the sides or ends of ships. Some other floating structures, for example, are floating docks, bridges, ramps, or rafts. This invention also generally relates to fields where individual inter-connected sections, elements, or modules of a structure are generally exposed to loads at their connection points.
These modules, however, once attached to each other, may be generally vulnerable at the point of attachment or otherwise exposed to certain loading conditions that require special consideration due to, for example, highly localized motions. Indeed, the connection between two modules is generally sensitive to external forces, and may be the structurally weakest part of the larger connected modules. For instance, forces generated by wind, current, waves, etc. can each serve to undermine the structural integrity of the connections.
The traditional solution to overcoming these loading conditions has been the development of heavier and larger connectors. These heavier or larger connectors, however, are more costly to fabricate, take longer to deploy, are hazardous to those who work with them, and contain other drawbacks and design deficiencies. In addition, larger and heavier connectors tend to reduce the buoyancy of the module to which they are supporting or to which they are attached.
Other problems with traditional designs include connectors that support only a reduced weight under certain forces and in certain environments, thus limiting the space available for mission success (e.g., storage, transportation). These connectors also experience failures related to fatigue, tension, and compression loading. Another problem with traditional connector designs is that they require multiple types of connectors (e.g., two types of connectors are often required to connect two modules). Again, this requirement for multiple types of connectors increases maintenance, fabrication, manufacturing and supply costs, as well as deployment time. Moreover, inadequate connectors fail to provide the requisite stability for platforms that must provide a certain level of rigidity.
The limitations on predecessor connector designs individually and in concert add tremendous costs and have an inordinate effect on the deployment and use of the platforms intended to be formed by connected sections or modules. In addition, these limitations have extraordinary consequences in time sensitive uses, such as military operations or emergency situations such as flooding or rescue operations, where a pontoon causeway is needed.
A valuable contribution to the art, therefore, is a connection design and method such as the present invention disclosed herein that is able to connect when there is relative motion between floating modules and is individually and in concert stronger, more buoyant, lighter, cheaper, smaller, safer, easily attached, easily connected, easily disconnected, and easily maintained.
A principal advantage of the present invention is an arrangement, system and/or method for connection which substantially obviates one or more of the limitations and disadvantages of the described prior connection arrangements. The objects of the present invention include providing a connector system, apparatus, and method whereby two locking structures, such as connector fingers or connector bodies, are joined in various states of relative motion between floating structures. A further object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide connector fingers, one configured to receive the other (a female finger configuration) and one configured to be inserted in the other (a male finger configuration). A further object of the invention includes a method for connecting modules having a male finger connection at one end and female finger configuration at the other end. A further object of the invention is to provide a means for locking modules in a connected position. Another object of the invention is to allow six degrees of freedom within the connection between the modules. Yet another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide for the connection of modules having similar finger connections at each end (i.e., both male or both female). The configurations of the connections, both male and female, may vary within certain parameters to accomplish these and other objects.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention relates, for example, to an interlocking connection system (xe2x80x9cICSxe2x80x9d) that connects modules via interconnecting fingers, male and female, and connector bodies in various states of relative motion between floating structures. In a particular embodiment, the fingers may be tapered. In a preferred embodiment, the invention consists of an arrangement of steel shafts, cams, and connector bodies which, together as male/female elements, can be used to quickly manually lock and unlock floating modules or sections, such as pontoons, in, for example, heavy seas for the purpose of quickly building a pontoon causeway, bridge, ferry, ramp, or other facility or structure. The applications for use of this embodiment of the present invention include, but are not limited to: roll-on/roll-off discharge, load-on/load-off discharge, and causeway ferries or piers.
The male finger assembly may include a casing configured with a camshaft, cams, and connector bodies. The camshaft and cams should preferably be designed to work together to force out and to allow retraction of the connector bodies from a circular hole or receptor in the casing. The camshaft is preferably a tubular shaft and may be supported by rubber-stave or other non-precision bearings. In one embodiment, the cams may be scalloped to prevent the connector bodies in the male connector fingers from turning the camshafts when the connector bodies are under loads in a locked (partial or full) position. The connector bodies are preferably spherical and, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, are assembled to be seated in receivers when forced out by the cams. The connector bodies may also be substantially spherical or balls. A ball may be spherical, oval, oblong, conical, or any other similar shape or combination of shapes. The connector bodies may be any acceptable shape able to effectively distribute loads and be restrained in three directions. The connector bodies and casings are preferably designed to resist all connection loads in shear and in bearing. The connector bodies and casings are also preferably designed to allow for six degrees of freedom within the connection. The female finger assembly may include the same or similar casing as the male finger assembly and need not be configured with moving parts. In a preferred embodiment, the same casing is used for male and female assemblies and the female finger has no moving parts. The circular hole in the female configured casing can be adapted to be used as a receptacle for the connector body from the male configured casing. The combination of receivers and the female configured casing is preferably designed to restrain the connector bodies in three dimensions and support loads in three dimensions while maintaining a connection with six degrees of freedom. The receivers, for example as depicted in FIG. 4, which may be receptor plates, may be shaped in such a way to support connector bodies by being an indented shape that allows for a sphere, substantially spherical shape, ball, or cone to rest in the indentation, allowing the restraint of connector bodies as depicted for example in FIG. 3, in three dimensions and to support loads in three dimensions. Prior to adding a protective sheath to the fingers, the male and female casings can be configured to be exactly the same, or very similar, which is a marked improvement over traditional multiple configuration connector systems and casings.
All components of the fingers may be made of steel, steel alloys, non-ferrous alloys, plastics, or any other type of material suitable for heavy loading, fatigue, stress, or strain.
The male fingers in one embodiment are adapted to attach to a side of a first module and the female fingers are adapted to attach to a side of a second module. Preferably, the sides of the modules are flat. The casings in this embodiment can include holes that allow easy access for various purposes such as for attachment (e.g., welding), for lubricating, and also, for maintenance purposes.
In an alternative embodiment, either the male fingers or the female fingers can be imbedded into a module (i.e., the module can be built with male and/or female fingers designed into its sides). Alternatively, these fingers may be permanently welded or fixably connected in any other acceptable manner.
In an alternative embodiment, a cover is placed on top of the fingers allowing the protruding finger to be flush with the surface of the attached module. In addition, the protruding finger can support substantially more weight than current traditional connecting devices. One such embodiment can, for example, support 15 times more weight than prior connector designs.
In a preferred embodiment, the female fingers, may be placed along a side and separated enough so that a male finger may fit flush within the two female fingers, create a female pocket. Modules may be attached whereby male fingers are made flush with female pockets and the male finger""s connector bodies are forced out into a locked position. Specifically, once the fingers are flush with the pockets, the camshafts are rotated. The cams attached to the camshafts then exert a force on the connector body which is then pushed partially out of the male casing and into the female receptor. The camshaft is rotated until it is locked in one of three positions. Attachment (or interlocking) is complete when all the camshafts, of a particular side, are in a locked position. In a preferred embodiment there is a mechanism provided for external locking of the camshaft that comprises a bearing, socket, locking pin or key, and a plurality of poles that may tighten the camshaft into the locked position.
In addition, the design of the male and female fingers of the present invention, when operational, can be configured so that they do not decrease buoyancy. Further, the design of the connector fingers may allow the camshafts to be rotated manually in almost any, if not all, sea conditions and weather.
It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.